How to Make Zucchini Noodles

This post will show you How to Make Zucchini Noodles with three tools to help you get all the zucchini noodles your heart desires. And check the round-up post that has links to my favorite recipes using these perfect low-carb noodles!

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For anyone who’s wondering How to Make Zucchini Noodles, this post shares three different tools that I’ve tried. About ten years ago people suddenly started making noodles from zucchini. And no doubt the abundance of those noodles popping up everywhere was due to an amazing machine called the Spiralizer. I’ve do love my Spiralizer, and through the years I’ve using it to make lots of recipes!

But now noodles made from vegetables have become mainstream! You can buy them pre-made in most every grocery store, and for those who don’t want to spend enough to buy a Spiralizer, there are also several less expensive noodle-making gadgets that work pretty well. I have three different cooking tools that make this type of noodle, so I thought it would share them in this post about making zucchini noodles.

How low in carbs are Zucchini Noodles?

One cup of zucchini noodles has only 2.5 net carbs, so eat as much as you’d like!

Are Zucchini Noodles the same as Zoodles?

Those trendy noodles are sometimes called Zoodles, just in case you didn’t know that!

Can you make noodles from other vegetables?

Of course you can use most of these gadgets that make zucchini noodles to make noodles from other types of vegetables. I especially like cucumber noodles when it’s hot weather and I want to make a noodle bowl, and they’re also great for salads.

Recipes Using Zucchini Noodles:

Check out Amazing Recipes for Zucchini Noodes to see all my ideas for using them. Or if you’d like to use Zucchini Noodles in soup, see my collection of Zucchini Noodle Soup Recipes.

How to Make Zucchini Noodles with a Julienne Cutter:

Several years ago I bought an inexpensive Julienne Cutter (affiliate link) which works just fine for vegetable or zucchini noodles, especially if you’re only cooking for one or two people. Basically you just drag the cutter along the edge of the vegetable, as if you were peeling a carrot. I like to cut longer vegetables in half, which makes them a little easier to julienne.

As you can see in the photo, there’s some waste because eventually the piece is too small to hang on to. But even as low-tech as it is, I used the juliennne cutter to make this big pile of of zucchini noodles the first time I made Instant Pot Pasta Sauce. I’ve made a few other recipes using it since then as well.

How to Make Zucchini Noodles with the Vegetti Spiral Vegetable Cutter:

My brother Rand is the one who told me about this Veggetti Veggie Slicer (affiliate link), and I immediately ordered one from Amazon. This is even cheaper than the Julienne Cutter and it’s more versatile because it makes two thicknesses of noodles. It comes with a gripper to use when you’re getting down to the end of the vegetables.

To use the Vegetti, just insert the vegetable into the desired end and turn it to make the noodles come out. For larger vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, or jicama, you’ll have to cut pieces that are small enough to be inserted into the end.  Above you can see a comparison of the thin and slightly thicker noodles you can make. There’s also some waste with this, because eventually the end gets so small you can’t really turn it any more, even with the gripper.

One thing Jake and I quickly learned is that if you don’t cut a slice in the vegetable before you start to make noodles you’ll end up with l-o-n-g strings of vegetables, which would be pretty difficult to eat. But if you cut a slit halfway through the piece of vegetable like you see on the cucumber, you’ll get perfect little short noodles.

How to Make Zucchini Noodles with the Spiralizer:

That brings us to the gadget that I think has created the vegetable noodle craze, the Spiralizer (affiliate link). The machine I have has five pieces, the base, the pushing mechanism that slides into the base, and three blades for very thin noodles, medium-sized noodles, and slices. There are suction cups on the legs to hold it in place when you’re using it.

To use the Spiralizer, you attach the vegetable on to round disk that has teeth to hold it in place, and center it on the round hole at the top of the blade that helps keep the vegetable in place. Then just turn the handle and noodles come out like magic! This is the small size noodles, about the same diameter as cooked spaghetti.  I cut a slit in the zucchini (as shown above with the cucumber) to get the short pieces of noodle.

There’s also a thicker noodle size, probably the one I use the most. You can also make thin slices, or cut slices like you see here if you cut a slit in the vegetable. Eventually you get to the point where the vegetable won’t push in any more, and you’re left with this core and a small piece of vegetable. And one thing I was delighted to discover is that the Spiralized zucchini kept remarkably well in the fridge for a day or so, and the zucchini noodles were actually a little drier after they had been refrigerated. Depending on the recipe the vegetable noodles can be used raw or cooked slightly.

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